Mina Kimes identifies what Seahawks need to make Sam Darnold move work

ESPN analyst points to the potentially fatal flaw in Seattle's Sam Darnold plan.

Tim Weaver | Mar 11, 2025

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sam Darnold and Katie Hoofnagle on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks have their guy at quarterback. By agreeing to terms with Sam Darnold they've landed the only realistic upgrade available this year, either in free agency or the 2025 NFL draft. Now all they have to do is keep him alive as he lines up behind what's been one of the league's worst offensive lines for years. If Seattle doesn't improve in this area, their high-value investment in Darnold is likely to be for naught.

Here's what Seahawk superfan and ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes had to say about that pesky little offensive line issue, especially the highly-problematic situation at the three inside positions.

Mina Kimes on Seahawks offensive line

"As good as Sam Darnold was last year, you saw he is, what I'd call it - a pressure-sensitive quarterback... The Seahawks offensive line has been a problem now for the better part of a decade. The interior offensive line to me has to be significantly improved for this bet to pay off, and I think that's what Seattle has to focus on now, knowing that this is the quarterback they're building this offense around."

Aug 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Mina Kimes attends the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Correct. Our own take this offseason has been consistent - the Seahawks should just admit that they have had virtually no sucess whatsoever with identifying, drafting and developing interior offensive line prospects. They should focus their attention instead on finding proven veteran free agents and signing them to (hopefully) non-outlandish contracts.

So far it's not going great, though as the guard market has moved very fast. With this morning's news that the Minnesota Vikings are expected to sign Will Fries, the top four options at guard are already off the table.

On the bright side, the Seahawks have agreed to terms with Josh Jones, who knows head coach Mike Macdonald from their time together with the Baltimore Ravens. Jones can play any position but center but the relatively small size of his deal (one year, $4.75 million max) indicates they see him as a backup.

Regardless of where and how they plan to use Jones, if they're going to really improve this unit they're going to have to spend a lot more than that.

Mina Kimes on Seahawks offensive line

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